Finishing & Screen Printing
RBC Ministries Invests in Heidelberg Technology, Purchases New Stitchmaster ST 350
Tuesday 06. May 2008 - Kendell Martin, director of plant and distribution operations at RBC Ministries, does not take investment decisions lightly. When it came time to look at new stitching equipment for the bindery, a few members of the RBC staff traveled to Kennesaw, Ga. to visit Heidelbergs Print Media Demonstration Center (PMDC), one of the largest print demonstration centers in North America, which offers year-round training classes and showcases the latest printing technology.
Armed with some of their toughest print jobs, the team from RBC tested Heidelbergs stitching equipment, and became quickly enamored. “We decided to replace our existing stitcher with Heidelbergs Stitchmaster ST 350 when we experienced first-hand the advanced technology that clearly is head and shoulders above the competition,” Martin said. “We also received great counsel from our Heidelberg contacts, who helped us find the best fit for our needs and organization.” The Stitchmaster ST 350 has been in production at RBC Ministries for more than a month now, and already the output exceeds expectations. “We had planned for a 28 percent increase in productivity over the previous stitcher and trimmer, but have achieved closer to 40 percent,” Martin said. “This was the smoothest equipment install in my 25 years in the business. I was impressed with the entire process from start to finish. The install was completed on a Friday and we were in full production mode the following Sunday night.” Martin reports that his entire team has adapted nicely to the easy-to-use computer interface, which is in keeping with RBCs goal of going “hands free” by 2011. “The ability to detect incorrect signatures and out-of-square booklets are huge quality control features that we did not have on our previous unit,” Martin said. Grand Rapids, Mich.-based RBC Ministries says it will continue to work with Heidelberg to match future shop needs with the best solutions.